A POLICEMAN was injured after shooting it out with two armed men he chanced upon along a road in barangay Saksak, Dalaguete town, southern Cebu last Saturday night.
One of the suspects was killed in a follow-up police operation the next day while the other one was arrested.
The fatality was identified as Risty Rodrigo, 24. Arrested was Juvan Mariscal, 19.
The two men allegedly engaged PO2 Reynaldo Vidas, 32, in a shootout while the policeman was on his way to the police station after having dinner at his home past 8 p.m.
Police said Vidas was driving his motorcycle when he met two men carrying a bag while walking along the road in sitio Cancalubo.
The policeman stopped then asked the two men what was inside the bag.
Police said the two suddenly pulled out guns and fired shots at the policeman.
The policeman jumped off his motorcycle and returned fire.
Vidas’ fellow policemen arrived in the area but the two men were quick to escape. Vidas, who sustained a gunshot wound in the abdomen, was brought to a hospital in Cebu City.
A bloodstained T-shirt, an empty magazine and a .45 caliber bullet were recovered from the area where the shootout took place.
Police tried to locate the two men. Bloodstains led them to a secluded bamboo grove, said SPO1 Peter Isidro Jr., desk officer of the Dalaguete Police Station.
Since the area was dark, police decided to stop the search.
It was around 6 a.m. yesterday when police received a report of a wounded man picked up by a taxi in the area where the gunfight took place.
Police rushed to the area and arrested the wounded man who turned out to be Mariscal, who was wounded in his right arm.
Police recovered a loaded .357 revolver from Mariscal’s possession.
Seven policemen resumed the manhunt to locate the other man around 10 a.m.
During the search, police received a report that a wounded man was seen running to a grassy area.
The lawmen later spotted a man, who was later identified as Rodrigo.
Police said Rodrigo opened fire on them first.
Rodrigo was killed after he was hit in different parts of his body. A .45 caliber pistol was recovered from his possession, police said.
A background check revealed that Rodrigo had been charged with murder in 2010 but the case was dismissed last year.
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